Gambian footballers enjoyed another remarkable weekend abroad, with Sellou Jallow, Muhammed Badamoesi and Abdoulie Manneh scoring in consecutive matches, while Musa Barrow opened his account for Al Khaleej. Abdoulie Ceesay and Sulayman Jallow also found the net, while Abdoulie Sanyang and Mahmud Bajo registered assists for their respective clubs.
Meanwhile, Gambian players made history in the AFC Challenge League, with five finding the back of the net during the group-stage matches.
England
Portsmouth secured back-to-back victories to move 13 points off the top, with a game in hand. A second-half penalty from Marko Milovanović proved decisive as Pompey claimed a narrow victory over Norwich City. Ebou Adams came on in the 60th minute, replacing Iyad Mohammed, as Portsmouth continued their push for consistency.
Gillingham fell to a 3–1 defeat against Accrington Stanley at the Wham Stadium on Saturday afternoon, recording their third defeat of the season.
Gareth Ainsworth named an unchanged starting XI from the previous league fixture against Rotherham United. Lamin Sillah retained his place in the team and played 70 minutes.
Stockport County defeated Bromley on Saturday to move within one point of Bradford City in League One. A 19th-minute header from Wootton proved enough to secure all three points for the Hatters.
Adam Sidibeh was named on the bench after recovering from a hamstring injury, while Gambian left-back Jacob Mendy started for Bromley and played the full 90 minutes, recording his sixth appearance of the season.
Italy
Empoli ended their run of three consecutive defeats by securing a point away to Ascoli.
The Empoli Blues, currently sitting 13th in the standings, enjoyed a dream start courtesy of Joseph Ceesay. The Solna-born wingback showcased his individual brilliance to open the scoring with a clever chip after winning possession.
Ceesay came close to extending Empoli’s advantage on two further occasions, but his efforts were blocked. He nearly found the winner late on but was unable to capitalise on a promising opportunity. The goal was Ceesay’s fourth for Empoli.
Defending champions Fiorentina U20 secured their first victory of the season against Albinoleffe.
Fiorentina initially threatened through Beldenti, whose effort went wide after he failed to find Sulayman Jallow.
Moments later, however, the Gambian forward made his mark. Angelo Martini picked out Jallow, whose first touch was not particularly convincing. A defensive mix-up involving the goalkeeper and a defender presented him with an opportunity, and he made no mistake with his right foot to register his third league goal.
Germany
St. Pauli played out a 1–1 draw against Hannover 96, with Abdoulie Ceesay scoring for the second consecutive week. With the first half seemingly heading towards a goalless conclusion, Ceesay rose to meet Oppie’s cross from the left and headed home to give St. Pauli the lead. However, the visitors’ advantage was short-lived, as Hannover responded through Chakroun in the 48th minute.
Ceesay continued to search for another goal. His effort was blocked in the 63rd minute before another attempt, this time a header ten minutes later, struck the post. Despite his efforts, neither side could find a winner.
Croatia
Abdoulie Sanyang continued his impressive run of form, coming off the bench to register his third goal contribution in as many matches for Hajduk Split.
The Gambian winger delivered a dangerous corner in the 86th minute, which Acapandie converted with a header. Sunday’s result further strengthened Hajduk Split’s position at the top of the standings, taking them to 22 points.
Belgium
The Croky Cup Round of 16 provided the main attraction in Belgium over the weekend.
Adama Bojang was introduced as a late substitute for Mons against Charleroi, a match that was decided by a goal from Check Keita.
Meanwhile, Abdoulie Manneh continued his resurgence at Cercle Brugge, scoring for the second consecutive match. Manneh opened the scoring before Ngoura doubled Cercle’s advantage. The Gambian forward produced a composed finish after capitalising on a poor clearance. His latest goal will provide a welcome boost as Cercle Brugge look to build momentum.
Salieu Drammeh played 73 minutes in Standard Liège’s 2–0 victory over Dender, contributing an assist to help his side secure the win.
Serbia
Serbian champions Crvena Zvezda defeated Mladost at home on Sunday afternoon, with Mahmud Bajo playing 72 minutes.
Bajo came close to creating an opportunity in the 43rd minute when he played a pass to Katai, whose left-footed effort was saved.
Moments later, the Gambian midfielder helped set up the breakthrough as his captain, Katai, found the net with a right-footed finish to give the hosts the lead.
Slovakia
Slovan Bratislava secured all three points away against FC Spartak, with Sulieman Camara providing the assist for the decisive goal.
The Gambian winger delivered a cross that was converted by in-form Ghanaian forward Rahim Ibrahim. Camara was subsequently withdrawn as Slovan managed his minutes ahead of their UEFA Champions League fixture against Roma.
Denmark
AC Horsens were unable to break down Randers, settling for a goalless draw on Saturday. Despite being reduced to ten men, the visitors created several scoring opportunities, missed a penalty and were denied by a brilliant 93rd-minute save from goalkeeper Delac.
Bubacarr Tambedou came on for Silkeborg in the 70th minute, making his seventh appearance of the season.
Kolding IF defeated Vendsyssel FF 2–1 at home. Alasana Manneh started the match and played 59 minutes, while Mustapha Nyassi was introduced as a late substitute.
Latvia
Muhammed Badamoesi came off the bench to score a dramatic winner for Riga, completing a comeback victory after the hosts had spent 68 minutes trailing.
Augusto restored parity for Riga before Badamoesi diverted Aouani’s cross into the net with his right foot to seal the victory.
Sellou Jallow continued his excellent form, scoring and providing an assist in FK Metta’s 3–1 victory over Super Nova 2. The Gambian has now scored in consecutive matches while adding another creative contribution to his tally.
With three games remaining, Metta are already assured of their return to the Virslīga, marking a significant achievement for the club.
Saudi Arabia
Al Khaleej temporarily climbed to 10th place following a comeback victory over Al Fateh, with Musa Barrow playing a crucial role.
The Gambian forward came off the bench and pulled one back in the 78th minute after receiving an excellent pass from Al Amri.
Barrow’s initial effort was blocked, but Mascarell reacted quickest to the rebound to score the winner. Al Khaleej subsequently completed the comeback to secure all three points. The goal marked Barrow’s first for the Eagles.
AFC Challenge League
Gambian foreign-based players began their AFC Challenge League group-stage campaigns over the weekend, producing an impressive collective performance.
Only Manila Diggers secured maximum points among the sides featuring Gambian players, while Fortis suffered a 3–0 defeat against Kuwaiti side Al Qadsia. Paro FC, meanwhile, left it late to secure a 2–2 draw against Ahal.
Paro started brightly, with Sidiki Jawara pulling a goal back with a well-placed left-footed strike into the bottom-left corner. They continued to push for an equaliser, which finally arrived in the 90th minute. Mustapha Jallow rose to head home Abdoulie Baldeh’s cross, rescuing a point for Paro.
In Yangon, Gambian players delivered a historic performance as five of them found the net during the AFC Challenge League group-stage action.
David Sambou was named Man of the Match, while goalkeeper Omar Njie kept a clean sheet. Abass Badjie, David Sambou and Saikou Ceesay all found the back of the net, while Baboucarr Touray provided two assists. Edward Ndecky and Modou Lamin Touray also featured, coming on as second-half substitutes.
Indonesia
Modou Manneh was the hero for Isenmulang, scoring a spectacular goal in the 21st minute to secure the club’s first victory of the season. His strike proved decisive in a closely contested encounter, with Persijap pushing hard for an equaliser.
However, the 37-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper produced a series of important saves to preserve the advantage and ensure Isenmulang collected their first three points of the campaign.
